INSIDER: Can Steve Ballmer Lure LeBron James to Clippers?

This is by Larry Coon, so there may be some relevant cap-related info as to how it could be done, since he's considered a top cap guru.
http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2014/story/_/id/11030693/nba-p layoffs-steve-ballmer-lure-lebron-james-los-angeles?ex_cid=espnapi_pub lic
Thanks!
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Here you go:
The NBA Finals haven't even started yet, but it's not too early to consider the future of one of its principle participants. LeBron James' pending free agency is hard to overlook. From the moment James formed the Big Three in Miami, potential suitors had July 2014 marked on their calendars. In February, ESPN.com reporters Brian Windhorst and Ramona Shelburne explained that we shouldn't necessarily assume James will re-up with Miami, no matter what happens this postseason. They also....

Cheers, Boom.
I'm against giving up Blake, seeing as he hasn't even entered his prime yet. Seems to me like LeBron could use a team with cap space as leverage...
"Trade me to the Clips for DJ, Jamal and pieces or I'm walking to a cap space team for nothing".
I guess they could call his bluff, but even the cap space team could clean up from the Clips if THEY executed a S&T with us for him. Seems to me that LeBron....

Griffin was untradeable when Sterling was at the helm, but I honestly don't know if that's the case anymore with Ballmer.
I really hope he views Blake as highly as most Clipper fans.
Here Miami, you can have DJ, Crawford, Dudley, Collison, Bullock, every draft pick we will own in the future and Mr. Riley gets some stocks in Microsoft. There now give is the King.
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Cheers, Boom.
I'm against giving up Blake, seeing as he hasn't even entered his prime yet. Seems to me like LeBron could use a team with cap space as leverage...
"Trade me to the Clips for DJ, Jamal and pieces or I'm walking to a cap space team for nothing".
I guess they could call his bluff, but even the cap space team could clean up from the Clips if THEY executed a S&T with us for him. Seems to me that LeBron....

It is interesting to discuss, but it just seems so far-fetched. I also am not crazy about becoming the team that just stockpiles players because they got a new owner.
To me, it would be incredibly gratifying to see the team we have now have another year together, under Doc, without the Sterling BS going on, and see THEM win it, as a team.
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This team is one big move away from contention. I think anyone but blake and Chris are fair game

Bingo3

06/04/2014 - 04:07 PM PST

Clipper Starter

Posts: 976

votes: 2

If Lebron wants to come play for us, I would give up Blake in a heartbeat. Two future HOF's that are the best at their respective positions. Miami gets to build around Blake and the Clips have a chance to get a ring. It's about what's best for the Clippers after all
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If Lebron wants to come play for us, I would give up Blake in a heartbeat. Two future HOF's that are the best at their respective positions. Miami gets to build around Blake and the Clips have a chance to get a ring. It's about what's best for the Clippers after all

It is interesting to discuss, but it just seems so far-fetched. I also am not crazy about becoming the team that just stockpiles players because they got a new owner.
To me, it would be incredibly gratifying to see the team we have now have another year together, under Doc, without the Sterling BS going on, and see THEM win it, as a team.

After 44 years of ****, beggars can't be choosers when it comes to getting a ring.....

No guarantees about getting a ring, spurs were a bounce away from winning the title last season, and okc were too green the year before

Spurs were an absolute fluke shooting performance from Danny Green away from going out with a whimper and several injuries in the West away from not even making the Finals. If that Ray Allen shot happened for one of Jordan or Kobrick's teams, it'd be described as "the will to win" or "clutch," but....

Spurs were an absolute fluke shooting performance from Danny Green away from going out with a whimper and several injuries in the West away from not even making the Finals. If that Ray Allen shot happened for one of Jordan or Kobrick's teams, it'd be described as "the will to win" or "clutch," but since it benefited LeBron, it's "he got lucky," "fluke." :roll:
OKC was favored going in and won game 1. They weren't "too green," they....

When Green repeats his shooting performance again this year, will it still be a fluke? Because he can, and he will.

Considering how he followed up his hot shooting by going 2-19 from the floor in the last two games of the series (including a John Starks-esque 1-12 shooting night in Game 7) once defensive attention was paid to him, I doubt Miami is concerned too much with that.
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Considering how he followed up his hot shooting by going 2-19 from the floor in the last two games of the series (including a John Starks-esque 1-12 shooting night in Game 7) once defensive attention was paid to him, I doubt Miami is concerned too much with that.

Just means that Pop and co have to do a better job of getting him open. He's a role player (let's be clear about that), so I don't see him generally....

After 44 years of ****, beggars can't be choosers when it comes to getting a ring. Give me LeBron and a championship any day of the week.

Getting Lebron will most likely leave us pretty depleted, and we know CP3 is guaranteed to miss some time.
I chose to root for the Clippers 20 years ago because they were the underdog. Getting a new owner and swooping in on the best player on the planet seems to be such....

I DO NOT WANT LEBRON JAMES at the cost of a younger LeBron esque player in Blake Griffin! I do not want to buy a Championship. I WANT TO BUILD ONE. That's why I love That Spurs Billboard. Built Not Bought. We have a Core of Blake and CP3! BUILD AROUND THEM! We'd be crazy to move them. LeBron isn't really a floor spacer. Now If it was LeBron for DJ,Jamal, and a young asset in Bullock then yes. If....

Only way lebron comes to LA is through free agency. Ballmer/Rivers will refuse to trade Blake.

JQuick32

06/04/2014 - 06:31 PM PST

Posts: 3385

votes: 13

Getting Lebron will most likely leave us pretty depleted, and we know CP3 is guaranteed to miss some time.
I chose to root for the Clippers 20 years ago because they were the underdog. Getting a new owner and swooping in on the best player on the planet seems to be such a drastic shift, I struggle to get too excited about it (the LeBron part and suddenly becoming the IT team, I am excited Sterling is gone). ....

I DO NOT WANT LEBRON JAMES at the cost of a younger LeBron esque player in Blake Griffin! I do not want to buy a Championship. I WANT TO BUILD ONE.

If that's the case, you probably should have been against the CP3 trade because we didn't draft him.
I'll never understand the obsession NBA fans have with how players were acquired. You never see this "built, not bought" crap in football or hockey. How is drafting a player....

Bron would be crazy to leave Miami until at least somebody else wins a championship. If Spurs win this year and Wade plays like **** in the series, maybe he looks around.
I almost would rather he just stays there permanently. If Bron ends up in the West and not on our team, that would bad for basically the whole league.
I'd trade Blake for Bron but I'd feel guilty about it. Would actually rather trade CP but that....

To be fair, a "perennial championship contender" is hardly the "underdog" we all started out rooting for as Clipper fans regardless of who's on the roster.

Yeah but it is the way we get there. I of course want the Clippers to be successful. But I am not thrilled about the idea of the Clippers totally changing overnight, swooping up Lebron, and essentially being a different team.
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Yeah but it is the way we get there. I of course want the Clippers to be successful. But I am not thrilled about the idea of the Clippers totally changing overnight, swooping up Lebron, and essentially being a different team.

Of course Blake changed the outlook of the franchise. Without Blake, CP3 is less willing to accept a trade to the Clippers.
How well did MJ or LeBron do their first years in Chicago and Cleveland? How did Kobe do against Utah in his first playoff series?
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Of course Blake changed the outlook of the franchise. Without Blake, CP3 is less willing to accept a trade to the Clippers.
How well did MJ or LeBron do their first years in Chicago and Cleveland? How did Kobe do against Utah in his first playoff series?

Benny, you are missing the point. I am not criticizing Blake. Quick and I have been going back and forth on our respective feelings about going after Lebron.
Of course Blake changed....

Also, winning is winning. Stockpile this team and make us a perennial favorite. I liked that Clips were the underdogs before, but part of the fun in cheering for the underdog is for the oneday that they become the favorite -- reaching their full potential that we've seen in them for all these years!
Give me a big 3 of Blake, LeBron, and CP3. After all these years I think I deserve to see that epicness on the court.
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Benny, you are missing the point. I am not criticizing Blake. Quick and I have been going back and forth on our respective feelings about going after Lebron.
Of course Blake changed the franchise, but it was not like all of a sudden, we instantly "overnight" became contenders. It took a few years.

[marq=right]
It took CP to make us contenders. Blake just made us exciting, but we were still not playoff (let alone championship) contenders until the CP....

I'd be shocked if Blake (and CP3) didn't have no trade clauses. They recently signed extensions and those are pretty popular for top tier players. Heck, even Redick has a trade kicker in his contract which increases his salary if he is traded.
Thus, any trade of superstars generally requires the acquiescence of both stars. There is little reason for Blake to accept a trade to Miami if LeBron isn't there so it is a non-starter with him.
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After seeing how pathetic Miami was without him on the floor, if I'm LeBron, I'm at least strongly considering the Clippers. Physically, he's not going to hold up from carrying a team of scrubs and two extremely overrated "superstars" who can't function without him anymore - the cramps he keeps having in the Finals every year are evidence of that.
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After seeing how pathetic Miami was without him on the floor, if I'm LeBron, I'm at least strongly considering the Clippers. Physically, he's not going to hold up from carrying a team of scrubs and two extremely overrated "superstars" who can't function without him anymore - the cramps he keeps having in the Finals every year are evidence of that.

Agreed, If I am LeBron I walk from Miami. They make him do so much. He has to rebound,....

LeBron is a great player but I honestly want to see him go back to Cleveland, not here. Plus we'd have to give up DJ and/or Blake, which is completely unacceptable in my book. The core we have right now is really solid and they need to stay together. DJ is only going to get better and the same goes without saying for Blake and we all know that Chris brings it every season and even he gets better every....

After seeing how pathetic Miami was without him on the floor, if I'm LeBron, I'm at least strongly considering the Clippers. Physically, he's not going to hold up from carrying a team of scrubs and two extremely overrated "superstars" who can't function without him anymore - the cramps he keeps having in the Finals every year are evidence of that.

Really? If I'm Lebron, I'm never leaving Miami as long as I keep making the Finals. Playing....

Really? If I'm Lebron, I'm never leaving Miami as long as I keep making the Finals.

It's becoming a Pyrrhic victory at this point since his body is breaking down under the physical stress of dragging his crap supporting casts to rings.
Playing in the pathetic Eastern conference with a president who you know will do everything it takes to win a ring? Why would anyone leave that?
With the Clippers he'd have a better team and people he....

Plus, if leaves for yet another team, it will tarnish his reputation in the eyes of even more people, justified or not.

As the years go on, it's clear that the vast majority of his haters are never going to change their minds about him until he retires. He needs to make the right decision for his career instead of worrying about what a bunch of no-life losers like Skip Bayless tweet about him. At the end of the....

Think about this for a second....
if the clips truly have a contendar status without lebron how much more would it mean to win a championship without HIM without that "best player in the planet" on their roster... I am all for bring the best of the best but I also believe we have one of the best teams as is. After being in "laughing" status for the last 20+ years, I believe the clips organization owes it to themselves to....

we shouldn't be afraid to tinker though. even with a squad of Griffin, Paul, Jordan, Redick, Crawford, and Barnes we were a second round out. Look at how much improved the grizzlies became when they dealt away Rudy Gay. as long as it improves our club we shouldn't be afraid to do it. I think at this point no one on this squad should be considered untradeable

That's debatable. I'm not buying into it. Gay >>Prince. I for one am....